1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to chewing gum compositions containing encapsulated multiple intense sweetening agents in synergistic ratios having an enhanced sweetening effect. More particularly, this invention relates to sweetened chewing gum compositions containing an encapsulated synergistic sweetening agent composition which comprises a synergistic combination of N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (Aspartame) and the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide (Acesulfame-K). This invention also relates to methods for preparing these encapsulated synergistic sweetening compositions and the chewing gum compositions in which they may be employed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Intense sweetening agents are well known in the art and are widely used as substitutes for sugar in many low calorie and noncariogenic compositions. Intense sweetening agents are natural or synthetic compounds which have a greater sweetening intensity, and usually a lower caloric value, than that of sugar (sucrose). Because intense sweetening agents have greater sweetening properties than sugar, smaller amounts of the sweetening agents provide sweetening intensity equivalent to larger amounts of sugar.
Intense sweeteners have a wide range of chemically distinct structures and hence possess varying properties. These intense sweetener compounds include water-soluble artificial sweeteners such as 2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one 1, 1-dioxide (saccharin and its salts), cyclohexylsulfamic acid (cyclamate and its salts), and the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3-oxathiazin-4(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide (Acesulfame-K, a commercially available product from Hoechst Celanese Corporation, Somerville, N.J.), proteins such as thaumatin (Talin, a commercially available product of Tate & Lyle Products, Reading, United Kingdom), commercially available product of McNeil Specialty Products Company, Skillman, N.J.), and dipeptides such as N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (Aspartame, a commercially available product of the Nutrasweet Company, Deerfield, Ill.) and L-alpha-aspartyl-D-alanine N-(2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-thietanyl)amide (Alitame, a commercially available product of Pfizer, New York, N.Y.), and dihydrochalcones. Each of these sweetening agents has a distinct sweetening intensity compared to sucrose and this sweetening intensity is well documented. For example, the following sweetening agents have the sweetening intensities set out below.